Dry Weight

Dry weight is a technical term that refers to the weight of an automobile (or a motorcycle) without any consumables, passengers, or cargo. It is one of the two common weight measurements included in vehicle specifications, the other one being curb weight.By definition, dry weight does not include any of the following:

Gasoline or diesel or any other fuelEngine oilCoolantBrake fluidPower steering fluidTransmission fluidWasher fluidThe difference between dry weight and curb weight depends on many variables such as the capacity of the fuel tank.

Over time, most domestic vehicle manufacturers have more commonly used the term 'shipping weight', which refers to the vehicle in as-built, no-option condition. This would include engine oil, coolant, brake fluid and at least some small quantity of fuel, as vehicles have traditionally been driven off the assembly line and these fluids were necessary to do so. Hobbyists have debated the accuracy of these figures, as they often seem low versus occasional real world checks on the same-specification vehicle. One theory is that shipping weight was intentionally calculated on the low side to realize a cost savings in the freight transport of vehicles across the country.